Album Review: Memory Garden – 1349 (No Remorse Records)

Swedish power/death/doom metal band Memory Garden will release their 6th studio album ‘1349’ via No Remorse Records on December 17th, 2021.

Speaking about the album drummer Tom Björn states:

1349 is a conceptual album and the storyline covers both fact and fiction, taking place during the pandemic years of the black plague. Stefan and I were talking about how the new songs were coming together nicely, and he told me he really wanted the album to carry a concept.

We started contemplating different themes that could fit our music, and we both got hooked on the black plague. A very dark and tragic period of history… We drew some guidelines, or a few key words for the concept, and after that I developed the story incorporating a few facts with the fictive elements. It’s not a linear timeline throughout the album, but a few songs are connected by the same character and happen in the correct order. Some things have to be read between the lines though.

50+ minutes of epic doom, it’s been 8 years since the last full-length Memory Garden release and they’ve not lost any of the fire that defines them. 1349 begins with an explosive doomy listen in the form of Shallow Waters. Drums that smash hard, guitars that scream as though they’re suffering and vocals that are clean and epic sounding.

It’s a strong start, where the slower tempo can’t hide the grandness of their sound and things continue strongly with Pariah and Distrust. The former, brings with it a moody and dark undertone, but some wonderful vocal levity. Whereas the latter is an extensive and grandiose effort with these harmonised vocal sections and touches of melody that just sounds majestic.

Rivers Run Black is another epic but one that you can really point at say – yes, that is a doom epic. One that does not weigh you down though, even though the guitars and drums are substantial.

So far, so much incredible doom to enjoy and let’s not forget the admirable story being told here either. The Flagellants, The Messenger and The Empiric… a trio of tracks that really dive deeply into the concept. As well as delivering wider arrangements that are still doom-focused but include a fair bit more melody and detail.

The title track is a real beauty of guitar riffs and the shorter, sharper jab of doom as it transforms, is a beast. The perfect accompaniment to the super-melodious finale of Blood Moon. The vocals soar, a keyboard plays out a soft and eerie tune and the intensity builds to a head-banging crescendo. A fabulous closer.

Memory Garden – 1349 Full Track Listing:

1. Shallow Waters
2. Pariah
3. Distrust
4. Rivers Run Black
5. The Flagellants
6. The Messenger
7. The Empiric
8. 1349
9. Blood Moon

Links

Website | Facebook | Instagram | No Remorse Records